Usually, a turret punch press or a laser beam machine is often used for metal sheeting, with the sheeting procedures for both of them being similar to each other in many respects. Therefore, a workpiece, which can be machined by the turret punch press, can also be machined by the laser beam machine in many instances.
Although the metal sheeting using the turret punch press has the advantage in that machining speed is fast since a predetermined area of the workpiece can be punched by its single punching action, it has the disadvantage in that it is not suitable for a production of small quantity and many kinds since an associated mold must be prepared.
Similarly, although the machining using the laser beam machine has the advantage in that much time and labor expended in preparing a mold can be eliminated since the machining configurations can be all prepared by a machining program and thus can be highly effective for a special configuration, etc. However, it has the disadvantages in that machining speed, etc. are slow when compared with the punch press and that machining efficiency is lowered in the case of a production of large quantities and few kinds.
On the other hand, the machining process using the turret punch press is established owing to the long history which the punch press machine has. Therefore, accumulation of machining programs for use of a turret punch press in machining sites such as factories, etc. is considerable. The laser beam machine, since its history for being used for metal sheeting is short, an associated accumulation of its machining programs is small. However, machining using the laser beam machine is advantageous in many cases owing to the fewer number of processes and costs, as compared to taking the trouble to prepare a mold for a turret punch press when a test sample, etc. are to be produced.
However, in the case where the laser beam machine is operated, all of the machining configurations must be instructed by a machining program as mentioned above. The procedure for preparing the machining program for a laser beam machine is naturally different from that of a turret punch press. Accordingly, an operator of the turret punch press is unable to take advantage of his knowledge of the machining program for the turret punch press and is obliged to newly obtain a sufficient knowledge of the machining program for the laser beam machine. Accordingly, it takes much time and labor in preparing new machining programs. In addition, the large amount of property of machining programs regarding the turret punch press become useless.
The first object of the present invention is to provide a drive control method of a laser beam machine, in which the machining programs regarding a turret punch press can be effectively used for machining using a laser beam machine and an operator, who has become an expert in preparing a machining program for the turret punch press, is able to operate the laser beam machine in the same manner as he did with the turret punch press.
The second object of the present invention is to provide a program translating apparatus for use of a laser beam machine, in which a machining program for the laser beam can be prepared in the same manner as the machining program for a turret punch press.